The Battle of Hogwarts
by SmurfNargles
Summary: May 2nd, 1998; The fate of the Wizarding World rested on the final battle for freedom. Hundreds of witches and wizards, some fighting to defend the once-safe haven of Hogwarts, others to serve the will of their beloved Dark Lord, took part in the legendary battle. Each chapter tells the story of the battle from a different character's perspective. Chapter 9: Oliver Wood
1. Bellatrix Lestrange

The words escape my lips and the flash of green light erupts from my wand. It strikes the Ravenclaw boy directly in the chest and he crumples onto the floor like a limp puppet.

I feel nothing.

And why should I? This boy – this young, foolish boy – stood in the way of me and by doing so, stood in the way of the Dark Lord's conquest. He came to defend his precious school from our elite forces and he failed. I step over his lifeless body and continue to walk calmly through the building.

Ah, Hogwarts. How I've missed your stony walls; your cold, hard floor. Except this time, it's a little warmer, what with the raging fires tearing up the place. A little smile escapes my lips. Oh, I am enjoying this. On the walls hangs a garish yellow Hufflepuff banner with their pathetic little badger embellished in black. A simple _Incendio _charm sets the thing alight.

They always were the worst house. The leftovers. The idiots. Not swotty enough for Ravenclaw. Not foolishly reckless enough for Gryffindor. Not worthy enough for the noble Slytherin house.

I turn a corner in the rubble-littered corridor, leaving the smouldering banner to burn away. Two Hogwarts students, exhausted and beaten, appear at the other end of the corridor. They draw their wands with a surprising amount of determination when they see me. One of them, an older girl with a red and scarlet tie, shoots a stunning spell in my direction. It misses me by a mile and instead shatters a window. I let out a loud cackle and yell '_Crucio'_. My curse hits the girl and she releases a tremendous squeal of pain. I love it when they do that. Really gives me a sense of power.

The other student, a slightly younger boy from Ravenclaw, shouts '_Expelliarmus' _and his spell flies towards me. Really? A disarming spell? _Predictable. _With an effortless slash of the wand, I counter his spell and it whizzes back at him. The child's wand flies from his hand and clatters onto the ground next to the Gryffindor girl who is still writhing in pain. He makes a lunge for it but I shoot a Killing Curse in his direction. It strikes his torso and he too collapses, dead.

The girl screams again, this time for her friend. She fights off my Cruciatus Curse and stands up, drawing her wand as she goes. I giggle. It's funny when they get all serious. I make the first move, firing a Blasting Curse at her. The girl dodges the curse by a fraction and it instead blasts an enormous hole in a wall, debris flying everywhere.

Of course, I could dispatch of this girl in an instant if I so wished; but what's the rush? I've got the time. She fires a succession of spells at me; jinxes, hexes, curses, each one missing or being deflected.

"_Is that the best you've got?"_ I cackle at her _"What do they teach at Hogwarts these days?"_

Suddenly, a woman appears from round the corner and shouts _"Get out of here! I'll deal with this one" _at the Gryffindor girl. In an instant, the girl turns on her heel and sprints from the scene. I fire a Killing Curse at her head as she zips round the corner but she inconveniently ducks and it catches a portrait of a dragon instead.

Never mind. I'm sure somebody will get the little coward.

Then the new woman turns her head round to look at me. Face full of grit and anger, she shoots a glare of pure hatred. And that's when I recognise her.

Little Nymphadora. My niece.

Oh this _will _be fun.

**A/N. Hello and welcome! Thanks for giving this chapter a read, please leave a review if you liked it or even if you didn't. Bellatrix is a bitch, isn't she? Luckily she gets her comeuppance in the unlikely form of Molly Weasley! ** **Whose battle experience would you like to read about? Leave a suggestion in a review if you wish. Thanks again for reading.**


	2. Minerva McGonagall

I've known for a long time that a battle between You-Know-Who's Death Eaters and the brave people who fight for justice has been coming; but here? The cowards, attacking a school full of innocent children! Ever since that traitor Snape murdered Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts has quickly become a corrupt place run by the Dark Arts, not the fine magical sanctuary it used to be. As the most senior professor – unless you count those idiot Carrows, which I for one _don't _– it's my job to protect the students and drive out the dark forces. This battle is not just for Hogwarts though. It's bigger than this; the battle could decide the future of the Wizarding World.

I'm standing in the Great Hall, the heart of the battle. Spells of every colour collide around me, fired from the wands of Hogwartians and Death Eaters alike. I swiftly disarm a masked man before stunning him directly in the chest. A ragged looking woman who I assume is one of those ghastly Snatchers shoots a Killing Curse in my general direction but thankfully it misses quite considerably. Before she can attack again, I hex her to the ground.

Not far away I see Parvati and Padma Patil duelling fiercely against Augustus Rookwood. They're holding him off well but I can tell they're beginning to struggle. I stride through the battlefield, dodging hexes and curses, weaving through pairs of duellists and stepping over fallen warriors until I reach the duelling twins. I leap in front of them, deflecting an orange jet light shot by Rookwood. His face turns from an ugly grin to a nasty scowl when he realises he's up against me; a _real _opponent.

The Patils run off in the opposite direction to assist Michael Corner and Terry Boot. Rookwood and I shoot a succession of spells at each other, none landing successfully. The man is a strong fighter but I am stronger.

Rarely do people expect an elderly woman such as myself to be such a formidable fighter but seven years of the finest Hogwarts education meant that I'm actually rather good at magic. Not to mention I was Hogwarts duelling champion by the age of fourteen. I fire spell after spell at the Death Eater, shielding myself from his own, until the sheer power and frequency of my attacks overwhelms him and he collapses to the floor with a cry. He's not dead, but he won't be up for a long time.

Though much of the fighting is happening within the four walls of the Great Hall, there are fighters scattered far and across the school. It's an enormous structure, after all. I run out of the hall and through a number of corridors, taking down some opponents as I go. As I reach the Entrance Hall, I see Colin Creevey scurrying down a staircase, a Killing Curse missing the top of his head by a fraction.

"Creevey, I told you to get out of here!" I yell, disarming then stunning an oncoming Death Eater.

"But Professor –" he says, pausing his sentence to hex an enemy "– we need all the help we can get!"

There's no time for this discussion, however, as a horrendous Giant bursts into the Entrance Hall with a tremendous roar. It carries a bulky club which it takes a swipe at student with.

Antonin Dolohov murders a man I do not recognise before quickly turning his attention to me. Narrowing his dark eyes at me, the Death Eater and I begin to duel. From what I've heard from other Order members, Dolohov is one of the finest duellers on the side of You-Know-Who. Fast, powerful and efficient, it's taking all of my strength to hold him off.

Colin, who is duelling Travers, suddenly shouts "Look out Professor!" in my direction. I turn my head around quickly to see the brute of a giant taking a swing with its club at me. I weave to the side far nimbler than most sixty year-olds can and the weapon misses its target, smashing into the stone floor instead.

In the short time Colin has taken to warn me of the attack, Travers has already gained the upper hand. The Death Eater disarms him; Colin is left wandless. Without a second thought, I dash towards where the two are duelling but by then it's too late.

The green light strikes Colin Creevey dead.

I feel a dull blow to my stomach but at the same time, a sudden surge of fury. I point my wand at the snarling Travers; he has no idea what's coming to him. Colin Creevey saved my life, and now I'm going to avenge his.

**A/N. Damn, McGonagall isn't taking crap from anybody! Hope this chapter did the badass Gryffindor Head of House justice, I know she's one of my favourite characters. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	3. Filius Flitwick

Because of my height, or lack thereof, I am often underestimated. Their mistake; I may be no taller than a goblin but I'm twice as powerful as any giant, dementor or Death Eater that stands in my way. When Professor Dumbledore hired me as Charms teacher all those years ago, I certainly wasn't expecting that anything like _this _would ever happen at Hogwarts. A battle; _the _battle.

As, and I say this as modestly as possible, the most knowledgeable Charms master in Britain today, there was nobody better than I to set up the most complex and impenetrable defensive charms in the castle. They held the Death Eaters off for a while, giving us some valuable time, but the enemy are here now and all we can do is fight our hardest.

I took a band of fighters up to Ravenclaw tower. It's one of the highest in the castle and so we can get a good aim of the Death Eaters. We're positioned at every window we can get to, firing jinxes, hexes and curses of every type into the crowds of fighters below. It's almost impossible to tell who's a friend and who's a foe, making the whole operation highly risky. However, this is a war; we have to take risks.

Down on the school grounds, I can see the distinct shape of a giant who's smashing up anything and everything it comes across. People are scattering around it, desperate not to feel the wrath of the enormous creature. I'm tempted to shoot a curse at it but I know I'd then risk the lives of anyone standing nearby. If a troll collapsed and fell on you, I imagine it'd be rather painful.

Suddenly there's a loud explosion and the door to the Ravenclaw Common Room is blown down. In storm a small group of Death Eaters, wands raised. My group of fighters, mostly made up of students, turn their attention from the windows to the newly arrived enemies. In seconds, curses are flying from every direction and it's not long until a seventh year Ravenclaw boy, Michael Corner, is struck by what looked like an especially powerful stunning spell. A Killing Curse barely misses Cho Chang; it flies over her shoulder and strikes a window instead, smashing it and sending thousands of tiny glass fragments tumbling onto the battlefield below. I take down a nasty-faced Death Eater before jumping in front of Miss Chang and duelling the enemy for her. She looks relieved; hardly surprising, it's a tough job and she's only a young girl.

The Death Eater takes a fraction too long to send a curse and before he knows it, he's crumpled on the floor, unconscious. The next one that comes along is maskless, unlike the others and I recognise him as Rodolphus Lestrange. Ah yes, I remember teaching him. He was in his sixth year when I started teaching. Talented boy, he was, but had a nasty temper and was always causing trouble.

He smiles insanely when he sees me and lets out a crazy laugh. Rodolphus is mad, second only to his wife Bellatrix.

"Ah, Professor Flitwick" he says harshly, still grinning strangely. Both of us have our wands raised. "It's been a long time"

"Yes, and I can't say it's a pleasure to see you again" I say, before firing a stunning spell at him. With a flick of the wand, he shields himself from my attack but I fire another at him. He manages to block those too.

"Evidently you taught me well, Professor" he says, before yelling "_Crucio_"

He overestimates my height and the curse flies over harmlessly. I shoot a succession of hexes at him, all aimed at his torso. Then, as he's blocking them, I sneakily aim a Trip Jinx at his feet. He falls to the ground with a thud and, just as he's getting himself up, I shout '_Petrificus Totalus!' _and he collapses again, stiff as a pole.

"You really should've paid more attention in class, Lestrange"

**A/N. I started writing Kingsley Shacklebolt's chapter but it was awful so I deleted it and wrote this instead. It's not the best, I know, but go with it. Thanks so much for reading!**


	4. Ginny Weasley

**A/N. Anything in bold is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Enjoy!**

"_**Ginny, I'm sorry but we need you to leave too. Just for a bit. Then you can come back in"**_

I am out of here. Mum and Dad urged me to stay in the Room of Requirement even though I'd have to wait here alone not knowing what fate awaits the rest of my family. Now Harry's given me a chance to get out, there's no way I'm going back. Without wasting time I run after Tonks; I vaguely hear Harry yell _"__**And then you can come back in. You've got to come back in!"**_

I catch up with Tonks. Though she looks glad to have my company, she still asks "_What are you doing here? You were told to stay in the Room"_

"_Harry needed me to get out for some reason. I'll be fine, I promise" _I tell Tonks.

She sighs and says _"I know you will. You're a strong girl, Ginny"_

We both draw our wands and run towards a shattered window. Outside the Death Eaters have just reached the castle and the first duels are beginning to take place. From this vantage point Tonks and I can probably help take down some Death Eaters but we need to be careful not to hit any of our own fighters.Tonks takes aim at a cloaked figure and shoots a stunning spell at them. He falls to the ground in front of a band of our fighters.

Suddenly a swarm of Death Eaters storm forwards, wands raised and firing curses in every direction. I raise my own wand and carefully fire the first jinx I can think of – the Impediment Jinx – which, thankfully, strikes the targeted Death Eater who, hindered by my jinx, is then floored by a number of stunning spells.

"_**Good girl!" **_yells old Aberforth Dumbledore as he belts past with a small group of students. Just as I go to reply, a curse hits the wall not far from my head. Tonks retaliates with a spell before I do but neither of us sees if it hits its target as Aberforth shouts **"**_**They look like they might be breaching the North Battlements, they've brought giants of their own!"**_

"_**Have you seen Remus?" **_Tonks asks desperately.

"_**He was duelling Dolohov, haven't seen him since!" **_Aberforth replies before running off towards the North Battlements. Tonks legs it after him, leaving me all alone by the window. I take off in the opposite direction to the others just to see if my help is needed elsewhere. I dash down a couple of empty corridors and stop at the top a long flight of stairs where below a number of Order and DA members are holding back the Death Eaters. I see Mum's typical fiery red Weasley hair flying manically in the battle; she's duelling hard against a masked man.

Kind and gentle though she normally is, Mum does have her formidable side. I'd never seen her duel until now and I can't help but be surprised at just how powerful she is. Small, motherly and underestimated, she's really holding her own against the enemy. From the top of the stairs, I fire a hex at the Death Eater she's fighting. It strikes him down and Mum looks up towards the direction of the hex to see who her saviour was.

When she realises it's me, a look of both relief and outrage spreads across her face. Mum runs through the crowd of fighters as I swiftly descend the stairs. We embrace quickly but it's short-lived as Mum pulls both of us downwards to avoid a flying Killing Curse.

"_We told you to stay in the Room of Requirement!" _Mum says, deflecting a jinx. Normally she'd have a right go at me for disobeying her but right now there are more important things on her mind; namely protecting Hogwarts and keeping everyone alive.

She knows why I left though. There's a battle raging and I am a Weasley; I'm not about to put down my wand and surrender. I will fight alongside my family and take down any Death Eater who tries to oppress us.

**A/N. Whoa, dramatic stuff. I'm really enjoying writing so expect more chapters! I'll be writing and updating at irregular times depending on when I have spare time to do so but I promise I won't make you wait too long. Thanks for reading and for all the great response I've had so far. Review :)**


	5. Argus Filch

I poke my head out of the secret passageway entrance; the corridor is empty but it's covered in dust and rubble. After all the years I've spent cleaning up this place, my hard work has been completely ruined within a single night. But tonight there are more important things to worry about than keeping the castle clean. Hogwarts is at siege and I must aid in the protection.

I'm not much use in a battle, especially not a wizard battle because I am a squib. I cannot perform a single spell. However, Hogwarts has been my home for years now and I can't bear to see it in ruins. Most students see me as the useless, bitter old squib that cleans up their mess and complains all the time. That's partly true; I can't stand most of them but I would never wish any of them _dead_. The Death Eaters are far worse than any misbehaving students. You'd think that someone like me would approve of the Carrows' new corporal punishment but in reality I can't bear hearing the tortured screams of first years echoing off the walls of the castle. You-Know-Who and his followers hate squibs only a little less than muggles and muggle-borns so life at Hogwarts under the Carrows has been less than pleasant for me.

With my handy mop at my side and Mrs Norris slinking around my feet, I sneak out of the passage and make my way down the corridor. I then poke my head round a wall to check if the coast is clear on the next corridor.

A cloaked Death Eater and a Gryffindor student, whom I recognise as Seamus Finnigan, are duelling alone. Finnigan has always been a troublemaker – those Gryffindors usually are – but he appears to be struggling against the enemy and so it's my duty to aid him. Thankfully the Death Eater is facing away from us with his back towards us. Finnigan spots me but is so concentrated he doesn't make it obvious. I sneak quietly and quickly towards the Death Eater, Mrs Norris at my heels...just as he raises his wand, I kick him as hard as I can in the back of his leg and whack him over the head with my mop. He falls to the ground and in the Death Eaters confusion, Finnigan takes him down for good with a well-aimed stunning spell to his head.

"_Thanks Mr Filch!" _he says, sounding bemused, in his thick Irish accent before running off in the other direction.

I continue down a corridor in the other direction and after climbing a flight of spiralling stairs, I find a small Ravenclaw girl who can't be older than a second-year, crouched in a corner, terrified.

"_What're you doin' here? You should've been evacuated" _I say, trying not to sound like I'm telling her off.

"_I...I got separated from the evacuation group...I got lost in the confusion of it all...so I took cover and waited here. Get me out of here, _please_" _she begs desperately.

"_Follow me" _I say, as I know the way to get her out of here. Behind the statue of the one-eyed witch is the secret passage to the Honeydukes cellar; it's the best way to get her out of here. I grab her arm, maybe a little too forcefully and we set off for the passage. Luckily, most of the corridors we travel across are empty – most of the fighting seems to be in the main body of the school – but every now and then we come across a duel and so we quickly turn in the other direction and take a different route.

We're only a corridor and a staircase away from the one-eyed witch statue and the passageway to Honeydukes but in our way is a Death Eater who is duelling someone I don't recognise, a member of the Order of the Phoenix possibly. The Death Eater strikes down his opponent with a Killing Curse and the little girl gasps audibly. Then he turns his attention to us, grinning evilly.

"_Well well, if it isn't the pathetic _Squib_" _the Death Eater says, wand raised _"The Dark Lord won't be wanting any of _your _kind –"_

And then suddenly the Death Eater is yelling in pain and clutching his face. Then I notice the little girl with her wand raised, tears streaming slightly down her cheeks, breathing in deeply. In an instant, I pick up a piece of rubble, run at the enemy and the slam the rock across his head. He collapses to the floor; unconscious, dead, I'm not sure.

"_That was very impressive" _I say to her.

"_Stinging jinx...I learnt it from my big brother" _she says quietly.

We run up the stairs to the corridor where the one-eyed witch statue resides. I learnt about this particular passageway from Severus Snape a couple of years ago...we always got along rather well. Until it turned out he was a servant of the Dark Lord.

"_Dissendium" _I say, and the passageway reveals itself. Before the girl begins her journey down the passage, she turns to me and says _"Good luck"_.

In a battle of witches and wizards, a Squib like me is going to need it.

**A/N. I always end up showing the good side of Filch! He may not even have one but I like to believe the only reason he's mean is because of his bitterness and jealousy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did then leave a review! Or even if you didn't, any feedback is useful. Thanks!**


	6. Kreacher

**A/N. Because elves speak differently, the grammar in this chapter is going to be confusing...**

Kreacher hears loud rumbling noises from around the castle and the floor shakes. The house elves put down their utensils and look around the kitchens with wide, terrified eyes. Kreacher doesn't know what is happening but he knows it is bad. It's been going for hours and we elves is starting to get scared.

"_What's going on?" _panics Winky, covering her ears with her hands to block out the noise.

"_Kreacher will find out" _I tell everyone, and I disapparate out of the kitchens to the Great Hall.

There is lots of people in the Great Hall, people Kreacher doesn't not recognise and other people he does recognise. Kreacher sees the Mudblood Granger – but Kreacher must not call her Mudblood anymore, because she is kind to Kreacher and Master Harry Potter told him not too. The people seems to be fighting; they is shooting spells and people is collapsing around me. Granger takes down somebody and Kreacher runs over to her. She is out of breath and pauses quickly when she sees Kreacher.

"_The elves is scared and they is wanting to know what is happening" _I says to her.

"_Hogwarts is under attack from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named – I assume you know who he is?"_

Kreacher nods because he knows all about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who, The Dark Lord; young Master Regulus followed his cause but changed his mind at the last moment. Master Regulus died to save Kreacher from The Dark Lord. Kreacher doesn't like The Dark lord, no, not at all, and he wants to avenge Master Regulus' death.

"_You is fighting him?" _I ask Granger and she nods then ducks to avoid a green spell.

I apparates back into the kitchens where the elves is eagerly awaiting me.

"_What is it?"_ Winky asks me.

"_The Dark Lord is attacking the school and we is fighting them away" _I tells them.

"_Winky does not want to fight. Winky is scared of the bad men" _Winky says.

I looks down at my chest where Master Regulus' locket is sitting. It reminds me of my favourite master and how he saved Kreacher even though Kreacher is only an elf. Kreacher wants to fight against The Dark Lord. Kreacher picks up a large carving knife from the drawer and climbs up on top of the highest cupboard so that everyone can see him.

All the elves looks at me, and I starts to talk.

"_Kreacher is going to fight – for Master Regulus, for Hogwarts school, for kind Professor Dumbledore. Kreacher wants you to join too"_

"_But Winky is terrified!" _Winky cries.

"_The Dark Lord does not like elves, but if The Dark Lord wins he will hurt the elves like he hurt Kreacher many years ago. If we elves joins the fight, we can beat The Dark Lord"_

"_I doesn't want to be hurt by The Dark Lord" _one elf shouts out.

"_Neither does I" _another one says.

"_Then we elves must fight!" _I say _"We elves is not big or powerful so we need weapons"_

Most of the elves agree to fight but Winky still looks terrified. We all grabs weapons; knives, saucepans, anything we can get our hands on. I picks up a big knife and I offers it to Winky. She stares up at, not knowing if to take it or not.

"_Your Master Crouch would fight the Dark Lord and so Winky should fight the Dark Lord in his place" _I says to her.

She thinks for a second and then takes the knife from my hand and grips it tight.

"_Winky will do it for Master Crouch" _she says at last and Kreacher is pleased.

We elves gather at the door of the kitchens, holding our weapons eagerly and ready to fight the Dark Lord and his followers. Then when everybody is ready we take off into a run and sprint through the castle. The corridors is empty but we can hear loud shouts and bangs coming from the Great Hall so we runs there.

We bursts through the door and suddenly Kreacher feels a hot rush of anger when he sees The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Kreacher will get back at them for what they did to Master Regulus. Hundreds of heads turn to look at us as we storm in and so I rally the elves by yelling _**"Fight! Fight! Fight for my master, defender of house elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"**_

And suddenly we house elves is very angry and very threatening. I run at a Death Eater and hack at his feet with a knife; he collapses with a scream. Across the Great Hall I sees elves stabbing and clobbering the Dark Lord's followers with knives and saucepans. Our wizards and witches is fighting their hardest and the Dark Lord himself cannot seem to kill nobody, not even we tiny elves. Then, on the other side of the room, I see a dark wizard raise his wand at Winky; I run as fast as my tiny legs will take me.

**A/N. I know, I suck at updating quickly, I started this ages ago but kept getting distracted. I have a busy schedule so updates will be irregular. Thanks for waiting patiently and reading. Leave a review?**


	7. Pomona Sprout

It's only when I'm sprinting through the school, Venomous Tentacula in arm, that I realise quite how unfit I am. I've always been rather plump and, if I'm honest, I'd never expected to be part of a battle so, understandably, I'd never prepared for one. I'm a fairly decent duellist but my reflexes are slow and I doubt I could last long against one of those vile Death Eaters.

When Minerva announced that we'd be holding fort against You-Know-Who I was terrified. There's no denying that. But not for one second did I ever dream of abandoning my students and this beloved school. It's possible that I could die tonight but if I do, I'll go down fighting. Anyway, I took a few volunteering students down to the Herbology greenhouses to grab a selection of the most dangerous plants we can find. The Death Eaters may have curses, Giants and the most evil wizard to have ever exited, but we have plants.

It may seem ridiculous but there's more to plants than pretty flowers. Every year, more witches and wizards are killed by Devil's Snare than by Acromantula attacks; I know everything there is to know about every type of dangerous plant and I know just how to use each and every one of them to our advantage.

Along with a band of ten students, including Neville Longbottom, I reach the top of the Astronomy Tower, armed with dangerous plants. I look down upon the Hogwarts grounds for one final time as I see the Dark Lord's forces swiftly approaching. The view is breathtaking; Hogwarts is a beautiful place.

It's a shame it won't look like this much longer.

In the distance, I can see the silhouette of the Whomping Willow swaying it's enormous branches in the wind. I just hope some of the Death Eaters run into it; the Willow could prove a valuable ally if they're stupid enough to go near it.

"Listen up everyone" I say, gathering the students "We're going to levitate these plants to the ground directly in the paths of the enemy. Don't use them all at once, and _use them wisely_; we don't have many"

"What about the Mandrakes, professor?" Neville asks.

"We leave those until the enemy get closer and then we throw them over" I respond.

"You do know these plants could potentially harm some of our own fighters?" seventh year Mandy Brocklehurst questions warily.

"This is a battle. It's a risk we're going to have to take" I reply grimly.

Everyone takes their positions around the Astronomy Tower, waiting with baited breath for the Death Eaters to make their first move. Not a single one of us talks, as we carefully levitate the plants to the Hogwarts grounds as deadly traps for the oncoming hordes.

"Wands out everyone" I command, after the plants have been positioned "If the Death Eaters get into the castle, there's a chance they may come up here. Keep your eyes open"

Suddenly, there is a bright orange jet of light that flies from the Death Eater's ranks towards Hogwarts Castle. It strikes the front of the castle; bricks and glass fly everywhere.

This is it. The battle of Hogwarts has begun.

**A/N. I haven't updated for almost two months. Shocking, right? I've been busy, but in 2013 I will try and get more chapters out but I don't know how frequently. I hope you enjoyed Sprout's chapter. It wasn't particularly long or action-packed but I liked it. Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you want!**


	8. Pansy Parkinson

The walls of the castle shake and loud explosions, yells and screams can be heard from every direction. Surrounded by younger students of every house – and nearly every Slytherin – I fight my way through the crowd of evacuees. I need to get out of this goddamned school quickly before it's in ruins and totally overrun with Death Eaters.

I don't like Death Eaters, or You-Know-Who either. Just because I'm a Pureblood who, yes, admittedly, hates Mudbloods, that doesn't mean I want them all dead. As far as I'm concerned, they should be excluded from the Wizarding community completely and left amongst Muggles, where they belong. The truth is, You-Know-Who and his followers terrify me. They let nobody and nothing stand in their way; the foolish defenders of Hogwarts will be dead by dawn.

Though I agree with the majority of the Death Eaters' views, that doesn't mean I want to be one, nor does it mean my family are involved with them. It's true that while the Carrows were in charge of Hogwarts, i did help them out a little. It wasn't because I wanted to torture first-years, don't be ridiculous – even I don't enjoy that – but I needed to win them over. Get them on my side; or, should I say, get on theirs. It was for my own safety. In a changing world like this, I do what I must to survive.

The evacuation group follows Slughorn through a door on the Seventh Floor that I've never seen before. We walk through the room quickly and everybody begins to file through a door which leads god-knows-where. As long as it's away from here.

My best friend Daphne Greengrass – best friends when we're _not _bitching behind each other's backs - suddenly stops before the door. There's a mad rush to get through the door; the first years, who are smaller and faster, are darting through gaps in the crowd and sneaking in, making it difficult for the rest of us to get out of this blasted place.

"Daphne, why've you stopped?" I yell urgently "We need to get out of this place"

"I'm not leaving" she says to me.

It's like I've been hit by a stunning spell. Shaking my surprise away, I pull her aside, out of the flow of evacuees.

"But...why? What are you going to do, fight?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do" she says with determination, drawing her wand from her robes "Hogwarts needs me"

"Daphne, you'll be killed! You're crazy, what's gotten into you? We have to go!" I shout, tugging at her robes.

"Maybe I will, but y'know what? At least I'll be dying for something" she shouts back.

"You're insane, Daphne. This isn't you!" I plead urgently "Please, just come with me"

"Just because I'm a Slytherin, and a Pureblood at that, it doesn't mean that I have to be cowardly, like you" Daphne says harshly.

"I'm not being cowardly. I'm being sensible. Now let's go"

Before I can move, she sprints in the other direction. Heart sinking, I sigh and run after her. I'm not letting my friend die but if I'm not fast, I'll get caught up in the battle.

And if it comes down to me or Daphne, I think we all know who I'd save first.

I see her running down the corridor with her wand raised in her left hand and once again, I shout after her.

"DAPHNE!"

She stops in her tracks and turns around to see me, her long hazel hair flying over her shoulder.

"What? You've made your decision, I've made mine! There's nothing you can say to me that's going to change my mind!" she yells at me "Just accept that, and get the hell out – "

" – DAPHNE! LOOK OUT"

She turns around swiftly to see what I've just seen; a black-cloaked, mask-faced man raising his wand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green jet of light misses my friend by an inch. It flies past her shoulder and collides with a statue, which collapses to the ground with a resonating crunch. By then, Daphne has disarmed and then stunned him. She always was the best at Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"See what I mean? We could've both died! He missed you by an _inch_!"

"Leave, Pansy. Get through that door and get the hell out of here" she demands.

I sigh hopelessly, knowing I have no chance of persuading her.

"Okay, I'll go" I say, then before she can run off in the other direction, I pounce on her with a hug "I'll see you soon, yeah? Just...be careful"

And with that, I bolt towards the evacuation room, climb through the passageway and leave the crazy world of war for the safety of the Hog's Head.

**A/N. I fear I may have made Pansy seem quite nice. I hope I didn't do that, as it wasn't my aim because frankly Pansy is not a nice character. I tried to show her vulnerability and that sensitive side that everyone, no matter how horrible they can be, has inside them. Even Pansy cares a little for her friends! Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and (maybe) reviewing.**


	9. Oliver Wood

I'm sitting alone in my living room just reading up on some new Quidditch tactics when I hear the distinctive sound of Apparition followed by a loud knock on the door to my apartment. Instantly I leap up and go to answer the door. I keep my wand in my pocket; it's silly, but a necessary precaution. These are dangerous times and you never know just who could be knocking on your door.

I open it up to find a flustered Katie Bell standing outside; relief washes over me. I haven't seen Katie in a while but by the look on her face, she's not here for a cosy catch-up.

"Hi Katie –" I start, but she cuts me off.

"C'mon Oliver, we've got to get to Hogwarts. Like, _right now_" she says "Bring your wand"

"Sorry, what's going on?" I ask her as she storms into my apartment.

"There's going to be a battle at Hogwarts. Fred sent me the message and told me to alert you, Angelina and Alicia. Apparently we need everyone we can get" she says.

"You-Know-Who's finally gone for Hogwarts, has he?" I ask and Katie nods.

"I've alerted the others and we're meeting them in Hogsmeade. Apparently there's a way for us to get in from there"

"Are we flying?"

"Apparition is quicker"

Suddenly, Katie disapparates leaving me completely alone. Wondering why I've got my broom if I'm not using it, I disapparate to Hogsmeade.

The village is almost completely deserted; nobody is on the streets and all the lights seem to off in every building. Then I see the Hog's Head at the far end of the street; light is blaring through its windows. I head towards it and as I approach, the sound of talking increases in volume until I reach the door. When I step in, I find Katie talking to Alicia and Angelina, all of whom turn to greet me as I arrive. There are loads of other people who I don't recognise as well but as Katie said, we need everyone we can get.

Alicia immediately embraces me in a hug and Angelina follows seen after. I've not seen the girls in a while; all three were key members of the Team and close friends of mine.

"So what's the plan?" I ask them.

"We're heading up to Hogwarts through the secret passageway but that's all we know so far" Angelina says.

We don't hang around long. Aberforth Dumbledore shows us to the passageway and the four of us rush into the school with haste.

An hour has passed since I arrived at Hogwarts and yet it's only just dawned on me what is about to happen. I've been running around in such a rush that I haven't yet stopped to consider the enormity of it all. This is going to be a battle. People will die. It could be me.

I'm standing atop the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts, the tallest tower in the school. Sprout and some of her students are here, armed with plants. The job I volunteered for is extremely risky; though I suppose every job is really. I'll be on my broom, taking down Death Eaters from above, all the while trying not to get killed. Katie, Angelina and Alicia are doing the same, though they're stationed at other parts of the school.

I can see everything from up here. The magical shield that surrounds the school is falling. Within a matter of minutes, they'll be in here.

It comes quicker than I expected it too; the barrier falls, the Death Eaters storm in and our forces storm out. Flashes of light erupt from wands on either side; screams can be heard; people fall to the ground.

The time has come for me to take action at last. I mount my broom, take in a deep breath, and fly.

**A/N. This chapter's not the best because I am so extraordinarily tired but I haven't updated in a while so I thought an average chapter was better than no chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited so far :)**


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